Blog

February 19th, 2017

The Role Of Insurance In a Personal Injury Case

Personal injury cases arise when people are injured in accidents that are caused by the negligence1 of others. Examples of accidents that regularly give rise to personal injury cases include slip and fall accidents, car crashes, pedestrian accidents, and workplace accidents, as well as many others. Generally speaking, the at-fault party’s insurance company, rather than the at-fault party, is the one who settles or chooses to litigate a case. For this reason, insurance companies play an integral role in the way that personal injury matters are resolved and injured victims should be aware of the fact that they are sophisticated parties who are trying to avoid liability at any cost.

It is Not Advisable to Deal with the Insurance Company on Your Own

After an accident, insurance companies will often contact an injured victim in relatively short order with a settlement offer. In many cases, this quick action reflects a desire to limit the amount they will pay out. If they contact an injured victim sooner rather than later, there is a greater chance that they have not yet retained a lawyer and may not fully realize the extent of their injuries. Here are some of the reasons it is important to retain a lawyer after an accident:

Insurance companies may use tactics to try and get you to inadvertently admit liability for your accident, reducing the amount of compensation you receive. Your lawyer will communicate with the insurance company for you, making sure that your rights are protected.

Many accident victims significantly undervalue their claims, making it likely that they will accept a settlement offer that is significantly below what their case is actually worth. When you meet with a lawyer, he or she will thoroughly evaluate your losses and give you an idea of what your case is worth.

If the insurance company refuses to settle for a reasonable amount, you may need to go to trial. Personal injury trials are extremely complex, and would put you at a significant disadvantage to attempt to represent yourself as insurance companies have skilled legal teams in place ready to aggressively defend against claims.

If you have been injured in an accident, do not try and negotiate with the insurance company on your own. To learn how our skilled BC personal injury lawyers can help you obtain the compensation to which you are legally entitled, call our office today at 604-688-9542 or send us an email at info@mclartywolf.com.